Dogs of the Military
by seaweedfma
Summary: When Jean Havoc joined the military, he had no idea how it would change his life, for better and for worse. Manga based, eventual Roy x Havoc story. It is written from Havoc's perspective. Spoilers for ch 38. Eventual mature situations - violence and sex.


Title: Dogs of the Military (Prologue)  
Author: SeaweedOtter  
Characters: Eventual Havoc x Mustang  
Rating: PG, this chapter  
Disclaimer: Manga-based. Will have eventual spoilers for all chapters.  
Summary: Today is the first day of the rest of your

"Today marks a turning point in your lives. You will go forth from this place as young men and women of the Amestriam Military. Make your country proud!"

A cheer rose up from the crowd, and hats were thrown up in the air. Jean Havoc, thoroughly bored with the speech and with his mind wandering to a pretty brunette he had been talking to before the ceremony, missed the opportunity to toss his own cap, but he quickly shrugged it off, not caring whether he kept his hat or not.

After the din of celebration died down, it took a while for the entire row to file out of their seats. Jean was unlucky enough to sit close to the middle of the row of recent graduates, and by the time he made it out to the huddling masses- hanging around and chatting in and around the aisles- he was more than ready to find a quiet spot to sit and relax and smoke a cigarette.

He had just found the perfect tree to hide behind and sneak a smoke, and was sinking down into the soft grass with a cigarette in his mouth searching for a lighter, when a large shadow loomed in front of him. With one brief inhale through his nostrils, he caught the whiff of a certain cologne that he knew all too well.

"Breda," he said, not even bothering to look up.

"Heya, Hav! So, you feel more manly already? Ready to do your duty for your country?" He clapped his friend and roommate on the back so hard that the cigarette that was precariously perched between his lips was thrust out and fell to the damp, dewy grass below.

"Damnit, Breda! That was my last cigarette!" He picked it up and turned it over, holding it softly between his thick fingers, like it was an egg about to break, and hoping that staring at it would magically make it dry enough to light up. After a couple of attempts to set fire the end of he cigarette, he shoved it and his lighter in his pocket and stood up.

"Crap. Now I'll have to wait till my next paycheck on Friday. I can't go 3 days without smokes! Look!" Jean raised his hand and examined it closely. "See? I'm starting to shake already!"

Heymans Breda smiled and shook his head. "Aw, you're fine. Your hand isn't shaking. It's all in your head. Come on. Let's go find your mom. I know she's 'round here somewhere."

With the throngs of people ambling about, it took a while for them to locate Jean's mother, who tended to get lost in crowds with her rather short stature. Jean never ceased to thank the gene pool that he had inherited his father's height- and in fact was the tallest person in his family- which made searching the crowds that day just the slightest bit easier.

"Hey, Ma!" Jean called out, waving his large hand back and forth.

"Jean! Heymans!" she acknowledged them, then waded through the crowd as fast as she could to meet them, giving each of them a hug and a kiss on the cheek and causing both of the men to blush slightly.

"I'm so proud of you boys!" she said tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes. "I'm sure your parents would be proud too, Heymans. I know I am."

The orange-haired man smiled sadly and nodded. "I know they would. I do appreciate that, Mrs. H. You've been like a mom to me, ever since I had the displeasure of rooming with this goofball our freshman year." He gave Jean a little punch in the arm, which garnered an "Ow!" from the blond.

"Let's get a quick picture, then we can go out for some lunch, okay?" She smiled and rifled in the huge handbag that she called purse for a moment, and then pulled out a large camera that she put around her neck and fiddled with the buttons and levers.

"Now, get together- closer. I don't have a big area to photograph!" she paused for a moment, and then looked through the lens. "Big smiles, boys." A slight pause. "Jean, take off your hat."

A click. "Oh darn. I didn't mean to that that picture yet. Heymans, you weren't looking, and Jean- you didn't have your hat off yet." She paused to look at her camera. "Well, shoot. That was my last picture. Oh well. I guess that will have to do." She shrugged and put the camera back in her bag. "Okay, let's go, boys."

"Yes, ma'am!" They both saluted and followed her towards their old, broken down truck.

* * *

The building loomed- tall and foreboding in front of him. He looked down at the sheet of paper, then back to the building, then back to the piece of paper one more time.

"This is it, Eastern Command Headquarters," Jean said, taking one last long puff from his cigarette before dropping it to the ground and crushing the butt under his scuffed boot heel. He stuffed the already well crumpled piece of paper into the pocket of his blue military pants and let out one long, last breath of smoke- unsure as to when he would get another smoke break- and walked towards the entrance, for a date with his new command, and destiny.


End file.
